Last year it was revealed that Norway's former prodigy Magnus Carlsen (19) had been training with ex-world champion Garry Kasparov. Since then his tournament successes have shown no sign of abating. In December he won a strong 8-player event in London ahead of Kasparov's successor as world champion, Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, and moved to the top of the world rankings. So far this year Carlsen has already won the elite Wijk Aan Zee event in the Netherlands, again ahead of Kramnik and current world champion Vishy Anand of India. It remains to be seen to what heights the partnership with Kasparov will propel Carlsen's career, but his sights must be set on achieving a match for the world title.
Today's game is Carlsen's win against the extremely hard-to-beat Kramnik from the first round in London. Though Carlsen, playing White, won this game, Kramnik gained his revenge in Wijk Aan Zee, in what is shaping up as a great but friendly rivalry.
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nb6
The English Opening has lead to a Reversed Dragon Sicilian, but Black plays much more cautiously than White in the analogous position,as the opponent's extra move makes an all-out attack too dangerous. 7.O-O Be7 8.a3 O-O 9.b4 Be6 10.Rb1 f6 11.d3 a5 12.b5 Nd4 13.Nd2 Qc8
Defending b7. The alternative is 13...Bd5, but not 13...Nd5?? as 14 Bxd5 Bxd5 15 e3 wins a piece (15...Nf5 16 e4). 14.e3 Nf5 15.Qc2 Rd8 16.Bb2 a4 17.Rfc1 Nd6
White has emerged with a slightly easier game owing to the vulnerability of the black pawns on b7 and c7. Here 17... Ra5 might be better than was played in a previous game (after 17 Rfd1) Wedberg-Tiviakov. 18.Nde4 Ne8 19.Qe2! ---
Karpovian-like prophylaxis from Carlsen. Before undertaking anything active, he repositions his queen on the best square to contain potential counterplay e.g. 19... Bh3 20 Bf3 and a later g3-g4 might trap the black bishop. 19. --- Bf8 20.f4 exf4 21.gxf4 Qd7 22.d4 c6
Here if 22...Bc4 23 Qf2 Bd3 then 24 Nc5! Bxc5 25 dxc5 Bxb1 26 Rxb1 with excellent compensation for the exchange as the knight must retreat (26...Nc4? 27 Bd5+) and White wins the b7 pawn. 23.Nc5 Bxc5 24.dxc5 Nc4 25.Rd1 Qc7 26.Bc1! ---
Preserving the two bishops and leaving the black knight awkwardly placed e.g. 26... f5 27 bxc6 bxc6 28 Rb4. So Black decides to part with the a-pawn immediately. 26.--- Na5 27.bxc6 bxc6 28.Nxa4 Rxd1+ 29.Qxd1 Rd8 30.Qc2 Qf7 31.Nc3 Qh5
Seeking active counterplay, but White responds with a fine maneouvre. Rehabilitating the knight with 31...Nb3 leaves White in control. eg. 32 f5 Bc4 33 Ne4 Nxc1 34 Rxc1 and the passed a-pawn will begin to tell. 32.Ne2! Bf5 33.e4 Bg4 34.Ng3 Qf7 35.Bf1! Be6 36.Qc3 Ra8
In another echo of former world champion Karpov at his best, Carlsen has 'undeveloped' both his bishops – to fantastic squares! Black's trapped knight quickly becomes his undoing as either 36... Nb3 or 36...Nc4 lose to 37 f5! winning a piece. 37.Rb4 Qd7 38.f5 Bf7 39.Bf4 Qd1
Or if 39....Nb7 then 40 e5! fxe5 41 Bxe6 Bd5 42 Rg4 with a vicious attack. White now finishes the game with amazing sang froid. 40.Kf2! Nb3 41.Be2! Qb1 42.Bc4 Rxa3 43.Ne2! Resigns
The black pieces are tied in knots (e.g. 43 ... Qxe4 44 Bxf7+ wins the queen) and White threatens 44 Bxf7+ Kxf7 45 Qc4+ Kf8 46 Rb7 forcing mate, to which there is no good defence.
Carlsen rises to number one
Problem: White to play and mate in three.
Last year it was revealed that Norway's former prodigy Magnus Carlsen (19) had been training with ex-world champion Garry Kasparov. Since then his tournament successes have shown no sign of abating. In December he won a strong 8-player event in London ahead of Kasparov's successor as world champion, Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, and moved to the top of the world rankings. So far this year Carlsen has already won the elite Wijk Aan Zee event in the Netherlands, again ahead of Kramnik and current world champion Vishy Anand of India. It remains to be seen to what heights the partnership with Kasparov will propel Carlsen's career, but his sights must be set on achieving a match for the world title.
Today's game is Carlsen's win against the extremely hard-to-beat Kramnik from the first round in London. Though Carlsen, playing White, won this game, Kramnik gained his revenge in Wijk Aan Zee, in what is shaping up as a great but friendly rivalry.
1.c4 Nf6
2.Nc3 e5
3.Nf3 Nc6
4.g3 d5
5.cxd5 Nxd5
6.Bg2 Nb6
The English Opening has lead to a Reversed Dragon Sicilian, but Black plays much more cautiously than White in the analogous position,as the opponent's extra move makes an all-out attack too dangerous.
7.O-O Be7
8.a3 O-O
9.b4 Be6
10.Rb1 f6
11.d3 a5
12.b5 Nd4
13.Nd2 Qc8
Defending b7. The alternative is 13...Bd5, but not 13...Nd5?? as 14 Bxd5 Bxd5 15 e3 wins a piece (15...Nf5 16 e4).
14.e3 Nf5
15.Qc2 Rd8
16.Bb2 a4
17.Rfc1 Nd6
White has emerged with a slightly easier game owing to the vulnerability of the black pawns on b7 and c7. Here 17... Ra5 might be better than was played in a previous game (after 17 Rfd1) Wedberg-Tiviakov.
18.Nde4 Ne8
19.Qe2! ---
Karpovian-like prophylaxis from Carlsen. Before undertaking anything active, he repositions his queen on the best square to contain potential counterplay e.g. 19... Bh3 20 Bf3 and a later g3-g4 might trap the black bishop.
19. --- Bf8
20.f4 exf4
21.gxf4 Qd7
22.d4 c6
Here if 22...Bc4 23 Qf2 Bd3 then 24 Nc5! Bxc5 25 dxc5 Bxb1 26 Rxb1 with excellent compensation for the exchange as the knight must retreat (26...Nc4? 27 Bd5+) and White wins the b7 pawn.
23.Nc5 Bxc5
24.dxc5 Nc4
25.Rd1 Qc7
26.Bc1! ---
Preserving the two bishops and leaving the black knight awkwardly placed e.g. 26... f5 27 bxc6 bxc6 28 Rb4. So Black decides to part with the a-pawn immediately.
26.--- Na5
27.bxc6 bxc6
28.Nxa4 Rxd1+
29.Qxd1 Rd8
30.Qc2 Qf7
31.Nc3 Qh5
Seeking active counterplay, but White responds with a fine maneouvre. Rehabilitating the knight with 31...Nb3 leaves White in control. eg. 32 f5 Bc4 33 Ne4 Nxc1 34 Rxc1 and the passed a-pawn will begin to tell.
32.Ne2! Bf5
33.e4 Bg4
34.Ng3 Qf7
35.Bf1! Be6
36.Qc3 Ra8
In another echo of former world champion Karpov at his best, Carlsen has 'undeveloped' both his bishops – to fantastic squares! Black's trapped knight quickly becomes his undoing as either 36... Nb3 or 36...Nc4 lose to 37 f5! winning a piece.
37.Rb4 Qd7
38.f5 Bf7
39.Bf4 Qd1
Or if 39....Nb7 then 40 e5! fxe5 41 Bxe6 Bd5 42 Rg4 with a vicious attack. White now finishes the game with amazing sang froid.
40.Kf2! Nb3
41.Be2! Qb1
42.Bc4 Rxa3
43.Ne2! Resigns
The black pieces are tied in knots (e.g. 43 ... Qxe4 44 Bxf7+ wins the queen) and White threatens 44 Bxf7+ Kxf7 45 Qc4+ Kf8 46 Rb7 forcing mate, to which there is no good defence.
1-0
Solution: 1 Qf7+ Kh6 2 Rxf6+! Nxf6 (or exf6) 3 Qg6#.